"Le Mans" hit the screen about five years after John Frankenheimer set the standard for Hollywood's vision of auto racing with "Grand Prix" -- a film conceived with McQueen as the lead (which he passed up).
"Le Mans" director Lee Katzin appears to have left his mark in the made-for-TV class of film. He falls far short of reaching the brilliance of Frankenheimer. I would go so far as the say that Lee wasn't even qualified to take Frankenheimer's white-balance.
This film -- one of McQueen's last 10 -- is slow, tedious, underdeveloped and lifeless. There is little to no dialogue and absolutely zero character development.
Even the racing footage is beyond boring. It's a shame to see McQueen's true driving skills wasted . . . especially when you consider that the immortal chase scene for "Bullitt" was released just three years before.
If you think you can't live without seeing this one, Netflix it or come by it on the cheap. You will likely find yourself feeling really weary before you see the checkered flag.
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